


home is where the heart is

by sapphirebluerubyredroses



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluff and Angst, Lance speaks Spanish, Lance's family is protective af, M/M, Mostly fluff though, definitely a self-indulgent fic, they are also very loving and very accepting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-09-24
Packaged: 2019-03-30 07:31:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13946643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirebluerubyredroses/pseuds/sapphirebluerubyredroses
Summary: Lance pillowed his head against her shoulder, closing his eyes to the rising moon and the stars blanketing the sky. The feeling hadn't dissipated, only growing with each day that passed as slowly as the previous. "I don't know, Mama. I really... really don't. I'm happy to be back, ecstatic, but I spent so long out there and now that I'm back without the others it feels...""Solitario?" she supplied, leaning her head against his."Yes, a little."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before season 3 came out, so I tried to add tidbits in here and there to include pieces from the newest seasons, but I didn't want to change it too much or I'd have to rewrite the entire thing. I'm particularly proud of how this turned out so I'd much rather not.
> 
> Hope you enjoy it either way.
> 
> ***All Spanish is translated in the ending notes.***

When Lance returned, landing on the thin sand bar outside his childhood home, there were screams and tears and hugs that crushed his ribs. His mother cried into his shoulder for nearly an hour, sobbing and clutching at him as if he'd disappear again if she let go. His father, never often the showy type when it came to his emotions, broke down, sinking to his knees and pressing his face to his hand cupped around Lance's as his tears fell. His siblings and their families, all of which had returned to mournfully commemorate the anniversary of his disappearance, rushed him. His niece and nephew clung desperately to his legs, a toddling baby following close behind them. His brothers cuffed him around the side of the head before pulling him tightly against their chests in turn. His sisters each took turns punching him in places that had once been soft. They'd pulled away, shaking out of their hands, but smiling through their tears all the same.

Behind him, Blue purred as the tears streamed unbidden down his face.

He melted into his family, his knees going soft as his father held him tight. "I'm sorry. I missed you guys so much. I'm sorry," he chanted through his sobs, face pressed into his father's hair.

"I've got you," his father whispered back to him, holding him in a way he hadn't since he'd been a child, "You're home now. Everything will be fine."

Except, it wasn't.

Well, it was... for a while. Lance settled back into his life at home, learning everything there was to learn about his new niece, telling his stories over and over again. He had a year's worth to tell, and he wanted to tell all of them.

Some he kept to himself. Finding out he was bisexual. Getting rejected by every girl he met. The long looks he'd shared with Keith, but never acted upon. The sly, flirting words they'd exchanged over and over again. The trip to a tropical planet that had gone very, very wrong for all of them when they'd realized the atmosphere had a hallucinogenic effect to it. Well, he told parts of that story, only the funny bits, and none of the bits that had left the team unable to look each other in the eye for a week.

Every chance they got, there were questions. 'What was space like?' 'What did the aliens look like?' 'What kind of planets did you visit?' 'How big is the universe?' 'How do you pilot the cat?' 'Are you going back to the Garrison?' 'What are your friends like?' 'Are you going to visit them? They could come visit us!' 'Did you meet anyone special?'

They came until Lance was exhausted, and found himself lounging on Blue's nose, staring up at the azure sky. She whined beneath him, bobbing her nose as if she were trying to nudge him. ' _What is wrong, my Paladin_?' the gesture seemed to say.

"I just can't help, but feel like... like something is missing," Lance murmured, closing his eyes against the sun, pressing his hands over his face, "I'm home and with my family, and I love it. I missed them so much. I was homesick the entire time we were in space, but now that I'm back I still feel..."

' _Homesick_?'

"Yes, and I don't know why. Hunk's visiting his moms in Hawaii, but he's supposed to be here in the next few days. Pidge is with her parents and Matt, getting some family time once we finally found them, and Shiro is staying with them, but they're supposed to be here next week also."

' _What of the Red Paladin_?'

Lance remained silent, opening his eyes to stare at the sky. He could almost see the blanket of stars hidden beneath all of that blue. His heart squeezed as his mind traveled to the castle orbiting the Earth, and the spaces and people that had played home to him for an entire year.

"Lance, who are you talking to?"

Glancing over Blue's nose, he found Veronica staring up at him, her hand shading her eyes from the glare off of Blue's metal. "No one, just Blue."

"The cat?" she asked incredulously.

"Lion," he corrected before Blue could do it herself, "She's a great listener."

His sister glanced over Blue, her eyebrows pulled together. "It's... a robot, Lance. How can it be a good listener?"

Gasping dramatically, he jumped to his feet, struggling to reached at least one of Blue's ears. She rumbled beneath him, her version of laughter. "Don't say such things! She is a robot lion and she is a she. We have a special bond, her and I. I can understand everything she says, and even when I don't know how to say things, she still understands." He smiled softly, pressing his cheek to her windshield, running his hands along the closest bit of metal he could reach. "She's my best friend, even over the team."

Veronica grinned, reaching out a careful hand to stroke down the metal of her paw where it was submerged beneath the water. "I've never seen you so fond of something before. Well, besides Hunk, but that's a given. You just have to be fond of Hunk. It's part of his charm."

"I'm fond of a lot of things," Lance told her, carefully climbing down Blue, "Like Red. She treats Keith like her tiny, defenseless kitten. It's adorable, really. And she's so spicy too. I love it."

"Are we going to get to meet this spicy lion when we meet the rest of your..." She paused, her words uncertain. "Uh... team?"

"Um..." Trailing off, Lance stared up at Blue. She whined again, reaching out to him to gently nudge at his consciousness. "I don't know... Maybe. I, uh, invited him when I invited the others, but I never got a reply."

Wrapping her arm through his, Veronica tugged him back towards the house. They sloshed through the warm ocean, curling their toes simultaneously into the dry sand before continuing on. She leaned her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she asked, "Where is he then? Maybe you can go pick him up and bring him back. Mom and Dad are really looking forward to meeting everyone. They'd be disappointed if they couldn't meet him too."

Guilt slipped through Lance, and he turned his eyes back to the sky. He'd wondered that since he'd gotten home. He'd wondered where Keith would go since he didn't have any living family on Earth. At least, not that they knew of. They were all somewhere in the depths of the universe, and that was a different sort of loneliness all together. "I don't know... Probably back to that shitty little shack in the desert he was living in before we found Blue. He's probably off riding his hover bike around, terrorizing innocent Garrison students on training missions."

"Shack?" Veronica nearly screech, jerking him to a halt and pulling him around to face her, "What about his parents? His family?"

"He, uh, doesn't really have any on Earth. None living that we know of. He was in foster care before the Garrison, and-"

"Lance McClain, you're telling me you let one of your teammates return to an empty **shack**? In the **desert**? All **alone**? Why didn't you bring him back here with you? You **know** Mom is going to have your head for this!"

She was shouting, and his ears were ringing, and his eyes were burning, and his heart was twisting.

He whispered, "Some... things happened just before... we came back, and... Well, I didn't think he'd appreciate the offer."

" **Lance McClain**."

"I know! I know! You don't have to beat me up too! I've already been doing enough of that myself!" he shouted, jerking his arm from her to turn back to Blue. His intentions clear, Blue bent forward, allowing him access to her cockpit. They took off with little preamble, disappearing into the sky.

.....

" _Mi hijo, por que estas triste_?" His mother settled beside him in the cooling sand, her arm sliding across his shoulders to pull him against her side. Her words were as soft gentle against his skin as her hand cupping his shoulder. " _Habla conmigo, Lance._ "

Lance pillowed his head against her shoulder, closing his eyes to the rising moon and the stars blanketing the sky. The feeling hadn't dissipated, only growing with each day that passed as slowly as the previous. "I don't know, Mama. I really... really don't. I'm happy to be back, ecstatic, but I spent so long out there and now that I'm back without the others it feels..."

" _Solitario_?" she supplied, leaning her head against his.

"Yes, a little. There's so many people here, my entire family, and yet."

" _Ellos son tu familia, tambien. Tienes dos familias ahora, hijo. Esta bien. Sucede._ " She turned her head towards him, pressing her lips into the crown of his hair as if he were a child again. She carded her fingers through his hair, pulling gently at the long strands. " _Tu hermoso, Lance. Te amo."_

Lance inhaled gently, breath shaky as he breathed out. "Thanks, Mama." They stayed there for a long moment, staring up into the sky.

Finally, she murmured into his hair, " _Yo soy tu madre. Es lo que hago_." She smiled as she pulled away, standing and pulling him to his own feet. " _Ahora ven. Tenemos que limpiar_."

Lance groaned loudly, but followed willingly after her, wrapping his arm over her shoulders and dropping his head on the top of hers. It was an uncomfortable position as she was more than half a head shorter than him, but it was one that gave him comfort all the same.

.....

"Lance!" Hunk was out of the Yellow Lion before she'd even completely settled into the water beside Blue, barreling towards Lance at break neck speed. They crashed together in the wet sand, Hunk lifting Lance to spin him through the air. "I missed you!" Dropping Lance, he held him at arm's length, grinning so widely there was a general fear his face was going to rip right in half. "Look at you! You're so tan! And you've gained weight! Your Mama must be feeding you well, as she always does."

"Are you calling me fat?" Lance gasped dramatically, blue eyes wide with feigned hurt, "And you're one to talk! Look how dark you've gotten! Have you been eating Dole Whip without me because all I smell off of you is pineapple right now, and I'm insanely jealous, buddy, so jealous." Throwing his arms as far around Hunk's considerable girth as he could manage, he sighed. "I missed you, buddy, so much."

The feeling in his chest did not fade. The hole remained gaping.

Laughing generously, Hunk hugged him back, crushing him into his body. "Actually, Mom sent me back with pineapple and Dole Whip. Enough for everyone. And when I say everyone, I mean, **everyone** and then some." Pulling back, he grinned down at him. "Looks like I'm the first one here? I guess I'm making my claims now then. It's also more floor time with the munchkins, and- Oh my god! Is that a baby? Is that baby Sophie?"

Lance was laughing as Hunk bodily picked him up and moved him out of the way, dropping to crawl towards the baby toddling towards them, new teeth poking up from her gums as she grinned widely.

He was almost knocked off his feet as a small bullet of a body collided with him. "Pidgeon, hell, are you trying to break my ribs?" he shouted, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He was startled to find that she'd grown a few inches in the separation, her hair long enough to pull back in a short tail at the base of her neck. "Woah, we can't have been apart that long for you to have grown half a foot. Pidgeon, you can't grow up on me too! The baby is already growing fast enough!"

Pulling back, Pidge grinned up at him. "I'm going through a growth spurt again, and anyway, I've only grown three inches. You should see Matt! He's taller than Dad now!"

"Katie, I'm right here! They can see me perfectly fine," Matt shouted, following Shiro from the Green Lion.

Pidge stuck out her tongue at him in retort before turning back to Lance. "It's been three months, so you really shouldn't be that surprised."

Lance stilled, staring down at her. "Has it really been that long? Three months? Really?"

Hunk appeared beside them, sand coating his cheek and his hair a tousled mess. David, Lance's nephew, sat on his shoulder, gripping his hair tightly. "Pidge! Look at you!" he shouted, laughing when she assaulted him next, her arms barely reaching around his sides, "Your hair is so long now. You've got a cute little ponytail and everything."

She sighed into him, her body deflating as she calmed. "I missed you guys. It feels like it's been a year."

Shiro and Matt tramped up from the water, sweat already beading across their foreheads. "Have Allura and Coran shown up yet?"

"No, not yet," Lance told him, glancing over the pair with critical eyes, "You two should probably change. You're going to get heat stroke dressed like that. Ma-"

Matt and Shiro were waving away his concern before he could finish. "No, no, we're fine. We won't get heat stroke," Matt said quickly, panic rising across his face.

"Nonsense!" Lance's mother shouted over him, already bustling forward with changes of clothes, "It is too hot, and you look far too pale to be arguing, son. Here, go try those on. If those don't fit, I'm sure we can find something. Go, go. Bathroom is the first door on the left." She shoved a set of clothes into both Shiro's and Matt's arms, pushing them towards the house. "Luis, Marco, show them the bathroom."

Rolling their eyes, Lance's brothers waved them forward, turning to enter the house. They glanced at each other for a moment before Lance shooed them in. "Go before she realizes you haven't. You'll feel better out of black anyway."

Sighing, they followed after the brothers.

"You must be Pidge," his mother cooed, glancing over her with fond eyes. They were eye level. Pidge grinned widely. "You are a beautiful young woman. _Muy bonita_. I understand that Pidge isn't your real name though. Oh, sorry, birth given I should say. What would you rather be called?"

"I don't mind which, Mrs. McClain. Pidge or Katie is fine."

"Well, I've brought you some of Teresa's old clothes. They're on the last room on the right. They should fit fine." She turned to Hunk as Pidge sprinted up the porch steps into the house, eyes sparkling. "And Hunk! You've grown at least a foot since we last saw you!"

Hunk rubbed at the back of his head bashfully, smiling as he lowered David back to the sand. "Not really a foot, Mrs. McClain. More like six inches."

Lance's mother smiled up at him. "Come now, Hunk. It's been nearly a year and a half since we last saw you. You've grown quite a bit since then. It can't be less than a foot."

"I don't know..." Hunk started, trailing off as his eyes were drawn towards the sky. "Allura and Coran!"

Pidge burst out of the house, her hair tied higher, a thin summer dress fluttering around her thighs. "Where?" she called, sprinting towards him. She threw herself onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck. Staring up, she watched the Black Lion's decent as it eased into the water, lifting a paw delicately before grumbling and settling in beside Blue. She waved vigorously at Black, nearly toppling them over.

Lance still found it hard to remember at times that Allura had taken over for Black once they had ousted Shiro's clone. Being shuffled between the lions a third time had been an unwelcome shock to his system, but it was worth it to have Keith back in Red and to pilot Blue again. It had been wonderful and amazing to fly Red, and she still let him on the occasion, but Blue was his girl, his original lion. It was natural for him to be with Blue, and it felt just as natural for Allura to pilot Black alongside Shiro.

They still didn't know why Black had rejected Keith the second time.

"Dear, please, you're in a dress," Mrs. McClain said mildly, smiling at her exuberance.

"I've got shorts underneath," Pidge replied quickly, clambering onto Hunk's shoulder and throwing herself off as Allura and Coran stepped out of Black. "You guys, hi! It feels like it's been years!"

"Only a few months." Allura's smile was immediate and wide, accepting the hug Pidge offered to lift her from the water. She chuckled, holding her aloft for several long moments before easing her back to Earth. "Are we the last ones?"

Lance followed Hunk forward, his smile fading. "Uh, no. We're still waiting for Keith. Did... did anyone hear from him? I never got a response."

The group quieted, lips turning down as eyes turned to him. "He never responded?" Allura asked carefully, worry slipping in behind her eyes.

Lance shook his head, glancing back towards the sky. Clouds, dark and heavy with rain, ran along the horizon, but the sun remained bright, small white clouds casting shadows across them every few seconds. "No, I haven't heard anything from him in the three months we've been back."

Wrapping an arm around his shoulders, Hunk pulled him against his side. "Don't worry! I'm sure he just lost track of time. Or he didn't know what to say, or something. It is Keith after all. He's the most socially awkward out of all of us!"

"Right!" Coran chirped brightly, jumping in, "If he doesn't turn up in a few days, we can always go looking for him. I'm sure he's fine."

"Did I hear Coran?" Shiro and Matt slipped through the front door, arguing as they attempted to push through simultaneously. They spilled onto the sand in a tangle of limbs, Matt lying across Shiro's chest, laughing with a huff of breath. He called from the sand, waving a hand over his head, "Good to see you two again."

Mincing her way over to them, Allura leaned over to smile at them. "Well, now you've actually seen us, hello. This looks like fun."

"It'd be much more fun if I wasn't being crushed under the heaviest 24-year-old on the known planet," Shiro muttered, head resting in the sand. He flinched as Matt's knuckles dug into his side. "Holy Hades, Matt! What are your bones made of? Knives? That hurt."

"I'm not Wolverine," Matt snapped back, pushing his hands into Shiro's stomach as he pushed himself to his feet. "And I only weigh 160 pounds, alright! It's all muscle!"

Shiro raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I don't think so."

"Ass."

"Only for you, Matt."

Allura smiled widely at the pair, holding out her hand. Lance turned his back on them before he could watch her help him to his feet, filtering out Matt's chatter and valiant attempts to make Shiro blush. He stared up at the lions, feeling their pull, their purr, their hum, but there was something missing, a frequency that would complete them. He knew they felt it too.

Sighing, he dropped his eyes back to the horizon. The clouds had shifted closer, and even from the beach, he could see the straight downpour they were releasing over the ocean surface. "Hey, guys, we should really get inside. That storm is moving fast, and I think it's going to be pretty bad," he called over his shoulder, though he made no move back towards the house. He wanted to be doused in the storm, feel the water running over his body, soaking through his clothes.

"What? That storm is way off. We've got at least an hour," Pidge countered, bouncing up beside him. She glanced between the ocean and his far away eyes, concern pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"Things move different over the ocean, Pidgeon. That storm is moving fast. I give it fifteen minutes. Tops."

"Right..." She trailed off, her eyes still focused on him. "Are you alright, Lance? If you want, we can go try and find Keith. Check the shack and stuff. We don't have to wait."

Lance shook his head, finally turning his back to the call of the ocean. "Not in that storm. We'd get lost, even if we get above the clouds, and I'm not sure how far it stretches. We may be flying giant alien robot lions, but we don't know how our weather and magnetic fields would effect them. We'll just... we'll just wait. We'll at least wait out the storm. Then we can go looking."

Following after him, she told him sternly, "As **soon** as the storm is over we'll go look. It'll be fine. Come on, Lance, cheer up. The happiest person on the team can't be depressed. It's just not natural."

"I'm not depressed, see? Really, I'm happy all of you are here. Just a little more tired than usual." Forcing a smile onto his lips, he bounded up the porch steps into the overly crowded house, tackling Hunk as soon as he was through the door.

It wasn't five minutes later that the rain started.

.....

It was on the third night of the storm that Lance woke with a jolt, sweat soaking his shirt, his boxers, his thin sheets. He gasped quietly, sitting forward to press a hand to his forehead. Outside, Blue was frantic, her touch jolting and insistent. He reached back, smoothing along her consciousness, but she didn't calm.

Sighing heavily, he carefully slid from the bed, stepping over Hunk sprawled out on the floor beside Matt and Shiro. He was quiet as he crept through the house to the porch door, easing it open, waiting for the hinges to creak as they always had when he was a child. Slipping through the crack, rain immediately slapped at his face. He squinted into the downpour, stumbling across the soaked sand towards Blue. "Girl, what's wrong? What's going on?" he called up to her, wary of the churning ocean. He remained on the sand, staring up at her.

Above the lions, the sky seemed to part, a silhouette Lance knew all too well all but crashing into the waters beside Blue. The ocean rose up to soak Lance down to his soul, but he blinked through it, screaming, "Keith!" as he pushed through the water. As Keith stumbled from Red, Lance's arms were around him, shoving him back into the cavern of her mouth. They collapsed in a heap of wet clothing and heaving chests.

For the first time since returning home, the hole in Lance's chest seemed to fill and overflow.

Lance was whole and finally felt like he was home.

Silently, he wondered, ' _When did he become home?_ '

Around them, the lions' consciousnesses were caustic and overwhelming. They roared through their heads, celebrating their reunion.

"Green, what's going on girl?" Pidge called into the din, "Where's Lan- Keith! Guys, Keith! It's Keith!" Her voice faded as she disappeared back into the house, and still, Lance clung to Keith, trembling against him.

Keith's arms were tentative, but tight around him, holding him close as he breathed him in. "Sorry, sorry," he whispered against Lance's neck.

Finally pulling away, Lance punched him. " _Cabr_ _ó_ _n! Estaba preocupado por ti! Gilipollas! Estaba preocupado! Estaba preocupado_!" he shouted, punctuating each statement with another punch, each softer than the last until his words were barely intelligible, just garbled sobs. He sat between Keith's knees, rubbing at the tears that slipped down his cheeks, shoulders shuddering with each intake of breath. " _Estaba muy preocupado. Pens_ _é_ _que algo te hab_ _í_ _a sucedido_ ," he sniffled, scrapping the heels of his hands beneath his eyes, " _Te odio, cabr_ _ó_ _n_."

Frantic as he grabbed for Lance's shoulder, Keith cried, "I'm sorry! Lance, I'm sorry! Please stop crying!" He pulled Lance back to him, wrapping his arms tight around his waist.

" _No estoy llorando! Est_ _á_ _s llorando_!" Lance sobbed back, arms wrapped around his shoulders, and he was. His fingers clutched at the fabric over Keith's shoulder, digging into the soft flesh beneath. " _Te extrañé, cabrón._ _Te extrañé mucho_."

Tears slicked down Keith's cheeks as he laughed wetly, face pressed into the crook of Lance's neck. "I missed you too," he hiccuped quietly despite not understand a lick of what Lance was saying, arms tightening exponentially around him.

"Keith!"

The pair broke apart, eyes jerking towards the myriad of voices scrambling towards them, calling his name. Pushing quickly away from each other, they scrubbed at their faces with the back of their arms before jogging out into the rain.

Echoing Blue's contented purr, Red sat back on her haunches, watching her Paladin closely for distress.

.....

The rain stopped half a day later, the sun bursting through the clouds and scorching the small island as if it had never been obscured to begin with. Lance's smile shone brighter than that sought after star, genuine and lively in his exuberance. They hadn't touched each other in those twelve hours, but the hole in his chest remained full, his being complete once more.

He sat beside his older brother, watching Keith's skin soak in the sun, dying a red that would hurt later that night. He watched as Keith threw his head back, laughing wildly as Shiro toppled into the water under the combined efforts of Matt and Pidge.

They were quiet for a long moment, the lull in their conversation comfortable and familiar. Lance broke it as he asked, "Marco, when did you realize that Beth was your home?"

Marco blinked, eyebrows pulling together as he glanced over at Lance. "What do you mean?"

"Like, you know how they say home is where the heart is? When did you realize that Beth was your home? That Beth felt like home?" He met the vivid blue of Marco's eyes, mouth a neutral line of curiosity.

Scratching at the back of his head as he turned his eyes to watch his wife walk with the baby balanced on her feet, he muttered, "I don't... I'm not really sure. She wasn't, and then suddenly, one day, I realized that I loved her, and I guess maybe that's when. I guess I've never thought of it that way, but that's exactly how it feels." He chewed on his bottom lip for a long moment, turning his eyes back to Lance. "Why are you asking, Lance? Do you... love one of your teammates?"

Eyes sliding away, Lance murmured, "I don't know about love, but I think I could. I think I really, really could. I think I could fall so hard and so fast that I won't be able to see the hole I originally tripped into." He cupped his chin in his palm, pressing his elbow into his knee. "I'm hanging onto the edge here, and I... I think I might just let go."

"Why are you fighting it?" Marco asked, his voice dropping to a whisper involuntarily as Keith threw himself from the water, running back up the beach. He watched his brother closely, how his eyes tracked Keith's every moment, how the corners of his mouth tipped up just the slightest bit when he got close enough for his quiet laughter to filter to them.

Lance closed his eyes for a moment, breathing out quietly. "Survival instinct, I think. I've never been in love before, not really, not in any real sense. It's scary. To think that just a concept, a feeling in your chest, can make you do so many things you'd never do. I love all of them as friends and teammates, and I'd give my life for them, but there's still that instinct of self-preservation that would keep me from doing some things. Love though, romantic love, I'd give my life no matter what the circumstance. I'd go to the ends of the universe even if there was no hope at all." He opened his eyes again, watching as Allura bodily picked Shiro up and threw him into the water. Her smile was wider than it had ever been, laughter encompassing her entire being. "I watched it happen. I know what it looks like."

Silence fell between them.

Too late, Marco said, "Woah, what happened to my little brother? Are you sure you didn't get replaced by some sage alien in space?"

Turning to look at him, Lance smiled wholeheartedly. "No. I just grew up."

Standing, he stretched his arms high over his head, groaning quietly as his joints cracked. Rolling his shoulders, his zeroed in on Keith, and without preamble, rushed him. He wrapped his arms around Keith's waist, hoisting him over his shoulder and sprinting towards the water.

Keith screeched in a way that called his bravery into question, and did so again when they crashed into the water that slipped against Lance's chest.

.....

"Fuck," Keith whined, gingerly pressing his fingertips to the redness covering his skin. His shoulders and cheekbones were the worst, dyed scarlet, while the rest of his body was pink. "Quiznak, this hurts! I've never had a sunburn this bad. I'm going to be pealing for _weeks_."

"I told you to put on sunscreen, but guess who didn't listen? You and Pidge. Guess who have second degree sunburns? You and Pidge. I think there's a correlation here," Lance said snarkily, rubbing lotion over his deeply browned skin, his blue eyes more vivid than before. He watched Keith pout for a long moment before sighing. "Lay on your stomach on the floor."

Keith's eyes snapped up to him. "What? Why?"

Lance rolled his eyes. "Just do it, mullet. Stop arguing."

Muttering under his breath, Keith did as he was directed, sighing as he pressed his cheek to the cool wood. The wood leeched warmth from his skin, soothing the burn. He folded his arms under his head, closing his eyes. He jumped as Lance settled with his knees on either side of his hips. "What are you doing, Lance?"

"Shut up, mullet, just let it happen."

"That is not a comforting statement," Keith told him, but dutifully, he settled into silence.

Cool gel and Lance's hands settled against his skin, and involuntarily, he sighed. "See? Don't you trust me?" Keith hummed, and Lance continued, massaging the gel into his skin. "Put your arms down at your sides for a moment." He did.

Lance circled the heels of his hands into his shoulder blades, a burst of laughter falling from his lips as his spine popped audibly. "Dude, you need to relax more. That was crazy! That's never happened before."

"I've never gotten a massage before."

"Jesus," Lance whispered, laughter on his tongue. "Okay, now breath out." As Keith did, Lance pressed his entire weight into his shoulder blades, an audible crack exploded through the room. He moved his hands further down his back. "Out again." Keith grunted as Lance repeated the action. Down again. "One more time." A groan escaped Keith as Lance pressed down one last time. He went lax, only a puddle beneath Lance.

"Do it again."

Laughing, heat flushing across his face, Lance said, "I can't. Maybe in a few days, though there's no reason to be tense here. My mom loves you already, and the kids too. Now, just lay there for a few minutes." The cool gel made a reappearance, spreading across Keith's back and shoulders. Flipping around and sitting on his lower back, Lance spread the gel down his calves, massaging the thick muscle. "You're like a cat. Purr like the lions do."

"No," Keith muttered, his voice quiet and calm, "Just keep going."

"If I knew this was all it took to get you going, I would have done it a long time again," Lance laughed, only partially joking.

"You're face gets me going," Keith muttered, a derisive note to his voice.

"Wow, okay, thanks for the compliment." Rolling his eyes, Lance stood. "Flip over. You're literally red as a lobster. I haven't seen a sunburn this bad since Veronica decided to tan for six hours after coming back from a Winter in Chicago."

Flipping over, Keith kept his eyes closed.

Finishing his legs, Lance flipped around again, settling gingerly on Keith's thighs. He was painfully away of how close he was to Keith's hips, how if he shifted just so, he'd be sitting in his lap. He closed his eyes tightly as he pressed his hands to Keith's stomach. It was a test of will to keep his mind from wandering to several untoward places. His will was far from strong where Keith was concerned.

All he could hope for was that Keith would not open his eyes to the shocking red that had consumed his face. His hands slowed to a stop over his heartbeat, closing his eyes. Beneath his fingers, the rate slowly picked up to a hummingbird flutter.

"Lance," Keith whispered, pressing careful fingers to Lance's jaw as he sat up, and now Lance was sitting in his lap. "I'm sorry about making you worry."

"Thanks, but I'm really not all here to be savoring this apology." He moved to stand, but Keith wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him in place.

"Lance, I'm being serious."

His fingers curled into fists against Keith's chest, and he cursed quietly under his breath. "Yeah, well, so am I. I should have told you to put the aloe on by yourself. Hell, Keith, unless I get up right now, things are going to get really awkward really fast. Okay, Keith? Right. Okay. You should probably let me up now." Keith didn't release him though, and a shuddering breath slipped from between his lips. "Keith, please," he whispered, nearly begging.

"Lance, look at me."

"No."

"Lance-"

"No, I can't. You don't understand, Keith. When I say awkward, I mean the kind where you can't look each other in the eye for weeks, like that one planet. You remember the one. I know you remember the one.” He was babbling, but he couldn't stop himself. “Like when you walk in on your brother masturbating to a picture of your ex-girlfriend at three in the morning- I shouldn't have used that example. **I should not have used that example.** "

"For fuck's sake," Keith growled. He surged forward. Their mouths smashed together, teeth clacking, pain flaring. They tasted the copper of blood, the sweet juice of pineapple and watermelon. Their lips moved against each other, their heads tilting for a better position.

"Keith," Lance gasped, shifting in Keith's lap, pressing his hips closer to his stomach, "You have no clue how many times I've imagined this.” He pressed forward again, eyes closed as his tongue swept through Keith's mouth. Keith barely had time to chase after his mouth before he was talking again. “ _Co_ _ñ_ _o, Keith. Tan a menudo. Mucho mejor de lo que imaginaba. Por favor. Por favor._ _Dios, por favor no dejes que esto sea un sueño_."

"Lance!" Keith snapped against his lips, a groan slipping past his own, "Shut up and kiss me!"

" _Si, si, si_ ," Lance chanted, pressing forward again. He kissed Keith's lips, along his jaw, down his throat, over his cheekbones, whispering all the while. " _Aye, dios. Keith. Keith. Keith. Lo he querido por tanto tiempo. Por tanto tiempo. Solo t_ _ó_ _came, por favor. Por favor! Besame!_ " Though he had sounded desperate only a few words before, by the time he was ordering Keith to kiss him laughter was on his mouth.

Keith groaned, his head dropping back to allow Lance more access to his neck. He pulled him flush against his chest, fingers slipping beneath the waistband of his shorts. "Lance, you don't know how many time I've imagined this." His eyes held tightly closed, he pressed the waistband of Lance's shorts lower, grabbing for purchase in Lance's soft flesh.

Lance kissed along Keith's collarbone, and promptly dug his fingers into his shoulders.

Keith yelped like a wounded dog, spitting out a Korean expletive.

Then Lance dissolved into laughter, resting his head against Keith's shoulder. " _Lo siento. Lo siento_ ," he giggled, mouth moving against Keith's skin, "But its probably better we stop. I've got sharp nails and you've got some very burned skin."

"We can work around that,” Keith whispered breathily.

"It won't be any fun if I have to look out for your lobster ass." Lance sat back, leaning heavily against Keith's arm still crossed over his waist. He winked unabashedly.

Face flaring redder than it already was, Keith released his arm, glaring as Lance toppled back with a laugh.

"But I'd be really interested in hearing what you were imagining, mullet," Lance said from his back, knees still on either side of Keith's hips. His ability to bend was positively unnatural, and a limit Keith wanted to test more than anything at that moment. "You know... if you're game." A grin pulled at his lips.

"Not happening."

"It's only awkward if you make it awkward." He wrapped a leg around Keith's waist, rubbing his calf up his back. "Come on, Keith. We've still got some things to take care of that are awkward in civilized company, and we've got a lot of lost time to make up for."

Keith leaned towards him, staring down at him sadly. “I think there's a few things we need to talk about before any of that,” he murmured.

Lance's leg stilled against his back, eyes wide. He slowly began to pull in on himself.

The door burst open before they could scrabble apart, slamming closed just as quickly. Pidge breathed heavily, her back pressed to the door, her eyes trained on them where they were frozen in place. She raised a careful eyebrow. "Well, this is interesting." Slowly, a sly smile tugged at her lips.

Lance's mouth opened and closed, a fish out of water, though no sound came from him. Keith's eyes were wider than they had ever been before.

"What do you want, Pidge?" Lance asked quickly, sitting up and pushing away from Keith.

She tapped her chin, staring towards the ceiling. "Let's just say you two will owe me in time. I'll collect when I wish."

Lance groaned, dropping his head into his hands. "That is not a position I want to be in."

"It looks like you're doing just fine, Lance."

"Pidge, I swear-"

The door creaked as a body slammed against it. "I'm calling in my favor now! Unless you want the others to find out a lot sooner, you should help me keep this door shut!

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All translations at the end of the chapter.

Keith and Pidge sulked beneath the shade of a beach tree with arms crossed over their chests, watching the others scramble through the water and sand, laughing wildly. Pidge's mouth turned down irritably. “Sunburns are dumb,” she grumbled.

“Yeah.”

“They're all jerks.”

“Yeah.”

“I'm gonna hit every single one of them.”

“Yeah.”

“Um, Keith, right?” The woman's voice startled the pair out of their pity party, drawing their eyes up and up and up some more to the woman staring earnestly down at them. She was as tall as Lance, and they were even shorter sitting on the ground.

It left Keith a little dizzy.

“Yes?” Keith said, staring back at her. Though her skin was lighter, her hair red and far curlier than Lance, she bore a striking resemblance to him. They couldn't be mistaken for anything but siblings.

Her smile was just as blinding as her brother's. “Oh, good! Katie, do you mind giving us a moment to talk?”

Raising an eyebrow cautiously, Pidge stood. “Sure. Just be sure to tell me everything later. Terrify him. Please. Make my day.” She knocked her fist against Veronica's, running out towards the water despite the scornful reproaches she received from the others.

Veronica settled beside him, her eyes trained on the commotion starting back up in the water. She was silent for a moment, the smile never fading. Finally, she said, “So, you're the guy my baby brother is in love with.”

If there were any possible way to choke on air, Keith would have managed it in that moment. He stiffened, eyes snapping to said brother hanging off of Hunk's bicep like a child on a playground. Heart in his throat, he couldn't find the words to reply.

Lance was not in love with him. He was the last person Lance would ever fall for.

The memory of the night before returned. Lance in his lap before Pidge had burst in. Lance kissing as fiercely as he had always imagined. He doubted his own conviction.

“And you love him too, right?” He remained quiet, but she seemed unfazed by his lack of response. She continued. “It's fine if you don't, really. But,” and suddenly he could feel something that felt very much like a knife pressing gently into his side. The tip was a prick of ice against his burned skin. “If you hurt him, I will kill you. Don't lead him on. He will give everything to you. If he could, he would drag the moon, the sun, and even the stars from the sky to give them to you. He would give you everything. If you take advantage of that, I will kill you. I know how to get rid of a body, and I know people who will help me keep it quiet.” Her tone was easy, genial in its threat. “He's been hurt and let down by too many people before. Each of them seemingly disappeared. They've never found a trace of them. Such a mystery, right?” The knife dug in a little harder. “You will not be the one that breaks him. If you haven't already figured out, he's completely head over heels for you. He was lost when the others showed up, and you didn't follow after them. He became the embodiment of the sun when you turned up.”

She glanced over at him, smile wide and teeth so white and straight that they felt like a threat all on their own. “If you love him too, treasure him. If you don't, don't let him faun over you. If you ever lay a finger on him, cheat on him, abuse him, if you ever do anything to him other than love him, you will become very familiar with my little friend in your side. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Keith squeaked, forcing his eyes to remain plastered to her face.

“Wonderful!” she chirped, standing and dusting sand from the back of her thighs.

Lance slammed bodily into her, hefting her over his shoulder. He grinned widely, laughing, before his eyes settled on Keith. “Hey, you alright, buddy? You look a little pale.”

Veronica screamed, floundering on his shoulder.

Jumping to his feet, Keith copied Veronica's movements, slapping at the sand sticking to the back of his shorts. “Nothing! Nothing! I'm fine. Perfectly fine. So fine it's a wonder that I'm not fine. We were just having a conversation. A nice, easy conversation.”

Lance narrowed his eyes before pinching the back of Veronica's thigh. She screeched, kicking wildly. “What did you do, Ver? Tell me or I'll keep pinching.”

“Lance, when I get down from here, _te voy a patear el culo_!” she spit, bucking.

“Were you threatening Keith, you goblin? I told to stop doing that! You always run them away! All of you do!”

Veronica snorted before she sighed and went limp. “ _Eran indignos._ He's fought aliens though. I think he'll be fine with a little threatening. I was just laying down some ground rules. You have to have ground rules, Lance, or there is anarchy. _A_ _narquía_!”

Lance rolled his eyes. “You're such a drama llama.” He pinched at the back of her thigh again, but this time she remained still.

Under her breath, she muttered, “You're the drama llama.”

“No more threatening, Veronica. I'm serious.”

“Fine,” she huffed, “I promise, but I can't speak for the rest of the family. I'm sure David will get in there, and Mama! Hell, she'd going to scare the ever living daylights out of him.” Veronica was grinning, and as she pulled an arm free, she ran her fingers through his hair. “ _Mira esos rizos. Bonito. Te mereces a alguien que te da las estrellas, hermanito_ ,” she cooed.

Glancing over at Keith and cheeks coloring red, Lance turned his head to catch a glimpse of her face. “ _El ya tiene._ ”

…..

Pidge slammed down hard onto the cushion beside Keith. The floor cried out in protest as the couch slid back a few inches. She slung her arm over his shoulders as Hunk copied her motion on his other side. They bracketed him in, leaning close and sighing contentedly as they watched Lance and Shiro wrestle with Lance's siblings, nieces and nephews on the floor. Matt stood over them, commentateing as Lance rolled Shiro over him as if he weighed only as much as the baby.

“So,” Pidge started all too casually, her fingers pressing into his shoulder in a less than inviting way. His burned shoulder. His very burned shoulder.

He flinched beneath her touch, and her touched eased up as she grinned apologetically.

“So,” Hunk echoed, sliding his eyes over to Keith.

“So?” Keith asked warily.

Hunk hummed, raising an eyebrow as a sly grin twisted up the corners of his mouth, “You and Lance, huh? About time.”

Keith's head snapped around towards Pidge, hissing, “Pidge! We had a deal!”

Her resulting smile was wide and unabashed. “I didn't tell him anything. He figured it out all on his own. You two are so transparent that even a blind person could figure it out.”

Groaning loudly, he sunk deeper into the couch, stretching his legs out in front of him and into the fray. Lance somersaulted over his legs, tugging at his bare foot as he passed. He kicked playfully at him, an unconscious smirk jerking at the corners of his lips.

“Case in point.”

Keith turned narrowed eyes back to Pidge. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means exactly what I said.”

“Look, Keith,” Hunk started before Pidge or he could continue into an argument, mouth pulled taut, “Lance is our best friend, has been for a long time.”

Pidge's mouth mimicked Hunk's, their voices similarly low. “We've seen him be a complete idiot around girls. We've seen him get close to something that could be considered 'having feelings for'.”

“But,” Hunk whispered, “We've never seen him like this. This is... It's uncharted territory, alright? We're not really sure how to help him if something goes awry with you two.”

“We just need to know that you won't hurt him,” Pidge finished, her eyes imploring as they stared at Keith.

He glanced between the two, mouth dry as he said, “Why does everyone think I'm going to hurt him? I don't get it. Do I look like I could hurt Lance on purpose? Like I'm  **going** to?”

“Lance may act tough, but he's got a heart of glass. We need to know that you're not going to break it.” Hunk squeezed his shoulder, everything that he was asking him transmitted in the bulk of his hand.

Keith dropped his eyes to his lap. “I don't think you guys are giving him enough credit. Any of you. Not the two of you. Not his family. But I'm not going to intentionally hurt Lance. I can't promise that I won't do it on accident, though. I've never been good with people. Hurting him it the last thing I want to do,” he whispered, “but you guys also need to remember that he's probably the strongest of us all. He's not some fragile doll. He's been through the same shit we have. He's fought the Galra with us. He's survived capture. He's commanded the team when there was no one there to do it. And anyway, we haven't even talked about this. Us. This thing between us.”

Hunk and Pidge tilted their heads, watching him consideringly then looked to each other. “Interesting.”

Scrubbing her hand through Keith's hair, Pidge laughed as he swatted at her and then was pulled into a crushing hug by Hunk. He gathered her in as well, and she groaned. “That's all we're asking for, Keith,” Hunk said, squeezing them until they began to wheeze.

“Hey, what are we whispering about over here? Why is a Hunk hug fest going on and I'm not in it? It looks cozy. I want it,” Lance said, wiggling into the space Hunk created for him so that he and Keith were nose to nose. He was all but seated in Keith's lap. A grin wider than the horizon spread across Lance's face as he stared at the red rising on Keith's cheeks. “Aw, you're too cute.”

“Lance, if you don't back up right now, I can't say that I won't...” He trailed off, cheeks coloring brighter than before.

The grin somehow widened. “As long as it was good, go ahead because I'm not moving, babe. I'm comfortable.”

Pidge gagged audibly, pushing their faces apart. “Don't be sickening with so many people around! Damn! It's only been a day!”

“I think it's cute,” Hunk said, laughter reverberating through his chest to tremble down Keith's arm.

Lance laughed along with him, licking at Pidge's palm.

She screeched and scrambled from the embrace.

"Lance! _Aqu_ _í_ _!_ Help your father and brothers with dinner,” Mrs. McClain said from the doorway to the kitchen, arms crossed across her chest.

Untangling himself from the pretzel they'd become, he popped to his feet. His hair stuck up every which way making him look like a frantic puppy more than a teenage boy. “ _Si, Mama_! Coming.” He turned a sly smile to Keith. “Don't forget about whatever you were planning on doing. For later.”

Pressing his hands over his burning face, Keith growled, “Dammit, Lance.”

Still grinning, he winked before trotting passed his mother to press a quick kiss to her cheek. He disappeared into the kitchen, an uproar beginning immediately on his entrance.

Stepping out of the doorway, Lance's mother let the door swing closed. “Keith, could you come help me in the greenhouse for a moment?” she asked, smiling gently as she pushed her feet into a pair of small pink and white polka-dotted galoshes.

“Yes, ma'am.” Keith stood, shrugging out from beneath Hunk's arms. “Coming.”

They tramped through the sand in relatively comfortable silence, eyes downcast to avoid fallen palm fronds. Holding the door open, Keith followed Lance's mother into the greenhouse. Inside was humid and a kind of quiet that the outside hadn't been. There was no ambient noise from the wind or ocean to keep the white noise at bay. The pair worked diligently, Mrs. McClain giving Keith succinct instructions as needed.

She finally spoke as they dusted off their hands and pushed out into the afternoon light. “Keith, have you ever been in love?”

Startled, Keith paused, looking at her. “No, ma'am. I mean, not romantically.” Swallowing, he shuffled around the armful of vegetables and fruits he held.

She smiled gently, and turned to make her way down to the beach. “ _Ven._ Sit with me a moment. I would like to speak with you. We really haven't spoken since you arrived. I would like to get to know the man my son is smitten with.”

He felt blindsided. He'd never been called a man before.

“Yes, ma'am,” Keith mumbled tentatively, following cautiously after her. He sat beside her on the sand, stretching out his feet for the water to lap at. He dropped his cargo beside him.

“Have you ever come close to loving someone?”

He swallowed. “I think, maybe one time, before I left the Garrison. I'm not sure. That time of my life wasn't... It was hard. It's a little blurry nowadays.”

Her smile was so gentle and so understanding, and he felt the world tilt. Her smile reminded him of another. “Shiro?”

He stayed silent, staring at his toes.

“It's alright. I won't say anything. I've been in love with my best friend before. It only caused me heartache. That's not to say that it isn't okay to be in love with a friend. The person you love should ultimately be you best friend. They should be your confidant and protector. They should be your world.”

“I don't... understand why we're talking about this.”

Lance's mother inhaled deeply, staring out over the water. “My son, Lance, he's a lot like me when I was young. He's outgoing, friendly, flirty. He lusts easily. I don't think he's ever truly been in love before, but that's not for me to say. He's strong, so strong, but matters of the heart are a soft spot for him as they were and are for me. He gives everything he can to the people he loves, and then he gives even more than that.” She looked at Keith then, and he saw Lance in her face and in the blue of her eyes. “I didn't ask you out here to scare or threaten you, Keith. I just need you to know that if you treat him tenderly and treasure him, he will give you the sun, the moon, and the stars. If you treat him harshly... Well, I don't want to see what will happen. I don't want him to become cynical towards love or life, and I also don't want to see him break under the heartache.”

“You didn't though,” Keith blurted, staring back at her.

She tilted her head. “Didn't what?”

“Break. Under the heartache. You... You have a family that loves you. You obviously made it.”

Nodding, she looked out at the changing colors of the sky. “You're right, but there was a long time that I thought I'd never find anyone else. It took me a long time to come back from that. I was lucky enough to have my husband waiting for me on the other side.”

They were quiet for a moment, just watching the indigo crawl across the sky.

“You know, I've never seen my son so taken with someone. I know the others haven't told you, they've been too busy playing big brother and sister, but he was depressed without all of you. He got better when the others arrived, but he wasn't himself until you showed up. His smile is brighter than ever, and the way he looks at you... It's how I still look at my own husband, and how I've seen him look back at me. I need you to know that, Keith, and I need you to know that we are all here for you. All of you have given so much to my son, and you're part of our family now.”

She took his hands between her own, squeezing them gently. “I'm not saying that you will be together forever. I'm not saying that there won't be conflict. There will be. Especially with my son. This relationship is going to be a big force in your lives. I'm not saying the two of you won't break up one day, but what you two have, I can tell it's special even if it's just a foundling. This is important to him, and the way you look at him, I can tell it's at least a little important to you too.”

“He is important to me,” Keith whispered, the words coming out stilted and awkward. He didn't want to be talking about his feelings, wasn't comfortable doing so, but out of everyone who had talked with him, he wanted her to understand. He wanted her to know.

“I know, _mijo._ ” She patted the back of his hand. “He's difficult and he likes to argue,” she started again, and smiled when he snorted, “but he's good and sweet. After everything you all have been through, I just when you to be happy.”

“I-” Keith swallowed, glancing away from her to their clasped hands and then out over the water where the sun had sunk nearly completely behind the horizon. “I don't want Lance to get hurt. I don't know why everyone thinks that's what I'm going to do. I don't want that. I've watched him and all of the others get hurt more times than I ever wished to over out time fighting together.” He grimaced before chuckling under his breath. “If Lance is difficult, then I'm an outright bear to deal with. I guess I'm just so fucked up that people can only see me screwing this up, but... but I think we've kind of learned to work around that and grown used to those parts of each other. I don't want to hurt Lance.” He swallowed again, his throat tight. “I just want him to be happy too. I just want us all to be happy.”

“You don't have to explain yourself to me, Keith.” She pulled him towards her, and he went willingly, allowing her to wrap him in a mother's love. He melted against her, pillowing his head against her shoulder. “Lance told me that you don't have a family. He told me that you only just found your mother.” He stiffened against her. “But I want you to know that's not true anymore. We're your family, even if the two of you don't work out in the end. We'll always be here no matter what you need.” She pulled away, grinning widely. “My husband has always said how he wanted more boys.”

Keith's smile was unconscious, unchecked, and watery. “Thanks, Mrs. McClain.”

“No problem, sweetie. Now, let's get inside. I'm sure my dope of a son has felt our absence by now, and probably figured out that you're getting another talk. Little Pidge told me Veronica already talked to you? Don't worry, she's mostly bark, but when she bites, well...”

He allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, bending to pick up the vegetables and fruit. “Was that supposed to make me feel better about Veronica?” he asked skeptically.

“Not really,” she chirped.

…..

“I'm sorry about my family,” Lance muttered from his bed, staring down at Keith in the dark of the room. On the bed beside him, Hunk snored uproariously.

“Sorry for what?” Keith whispered back, sitting cross legged on the sleeping bag he'd been provided, polishing his knife as he always did to calm himself. He'd never had so many talks in his life. He'd never seen so many people love one person like Lance was loved, and Keith doubted he'd be able to save himself from falling into the same depths that they all swam in. He wasn't sure he cared to save himself from the plunge. Already, he could feel the warm tendrils of acceptance and love wrapping around him, dragging him into Lance's arms and into the hearts of those that surrounded him.

That was something Keith had never had. Not that he could remember anyway. It was addictive. He didn't want to lose it, but he was afraid to allow it to consume him.

Lance picked apathetically at a popped stitch in the worn quilt that tangled around his long legs. “I know that they were dragging you around and threatening you. It's kind of a tradition. We figure if the interested party gets scared off just by the family then they weren't worth it in the first place. I'm just...” He sighed, rubbing a hand over his tired face. “I'm sure they've said a lot of things they shouldn't have. I'm sure you know by now how I feel about you. I'm not very good at hiding my feelings, and my family grabs shit and runs with it. They probably think we're...” He laughed without humor. “We haven't even talked about anything yet.”

Keith rubbed at a spot on his knife before pausing to look up at Lance. “Think we're what?” he prompted after a moment, curious to know what Lance thought. They'd made out the one time. There had been the hallucinogenic planet that he barely remembered. Lance's willingness for physical contact jumbled his mind more than he cared to admit, but he couldn't deny that even he felt something towards the Blue Paladin. There was something between them, something warm and not so new. He just had to figure out what it was.

“I don't know. Like... like my sister and her husband or something. Ready to settle down and adopt 2.5 kids. Ready to end our space adventures and just kick back with our feet in the sand,” he explained grandly before his voice fell back to a whisper, “I think they think that we're... I don't know... I just- I don't know. They think we're something more than what I think we're capable of right now.”

Swallowing, Keith sheathed his knife, pushing it beneath his pillow. “What... what are we right now?”

“What?” Lance asked, startled.

Lifting his eyes, Keith caught Lance's gaze. “What are we right now?” he asked with more conviction.

“We're...” Lance trailed off, pink darkening his cheeks and tips of his ears. Swallowing, he slid to the floor in the darkness, sitting back on his heels for only a moment. “It's easier to show you,” he whispered, leaning forward and pressing their mouths together.

Keith fell into the kiss easily, only putty beneath Lance's more capable hands. His fingers slid up along Lance's cheeks, cupping the back of his neck. “You're such a cliche,” he whispered fondly and pulled Lance back in. Slowly, he was being pushed back onto his makeshift bed, Lance's knee hitching up between his legs. Gasping, Keith pressed a hand to his chest, pushing him away just the barest amount. “Lance, hold on. Hunk-”

“It's fine,” Lance murmured against his ear, breath hot and hands hotter against his skin, “He sleeps through anything. Just be quiet. We don't want to wake the house.”

“Lance-” Keith started, but a gasp slipped passed his lips as Lance's hand slid across his lower stomach.

Lance's lips were curved into a smile against his ear. “We could go to the lions.”

“Lance, shut up. Stop talking. Holy fuck.” Keith pushed against his chest, eyes screwed shut as his mind reeled. His thoughts were a jumbled mess. He knew they needed to talk about something. There was something important from before that they hadn't talked about, and Lance kissing him did not explain anything to him except that Lance wanted him the same way he wanted Lance.

All he wanted to do was touch Lance, bring him closer, allow him to have more of him than anyone he'd ever been with at the Garrison had been allowed. He wanted to kiss him gently and cuddle with him. He wanted to drink coffee with him and just talk.

He at least had the presence of mind to know that all they should be doing right then was talking. There were more things they needed to talk about than he had fingers on his hands. He didn't want to. He'd never been good at talking as the passed day with Lance's family had reminded him. They needed to talk though. So with visible effort, he sat up and pushed Lance away.

“We need to talk, Lance, before we get any further or any deeper. We can't just let everything fester.”

Lance slumped back against his bed, staring into the darkness that was made only darker by the cloudy night sky. “I don't want to talk,” he whispered, fear trembling through his voice, “I don't want to talk about that time. I don't want to remember it. I'm just... I'm just happy you're back.”

“I know. I don't want to either.” Keith stared at him, his lips throbbing and tingling with the memory of Lance's. Swallowing, he stood. “Come on. Let's go talk.”

Lance stared up at him solemnly before accepting his outstretched hand. Pulling himself to his feet, he didn't release Keith's hand. Instead, he brought it to his mouth and pressed his lips to his knuckles, one by one. When he had reached his last knuckle, he lingered, fingers tightening ever so slightly around Keith's. Slowly, he dropped their hands between them, and led the way out of the room. Hunk did not wake up as his bedroom door creaked open and closed. "Do you want something to drink before we get this thing started?" His hands were on the coffee maker, and his eyes were on the coffee grounds, and he was doing his best to keep both to himself even as Keith stood close to him.

“Coffee is fine. We're going to need it, I think.” Keith's voice was close, soft in the cover of darkness and the house's sleeping occupants.

“Right,” Lance murmured, forcing his mind to remain quiet. It was a difficult task. Since Keith had returned, all he'd been able to hear was chanting, 'Home, home, home, _home_ ,' and all his body had done was yearn to touch Keith, to pull him close.

His hands worked, and his mind chanted, and his body yearned.

He shuddered, his eyes slipping closed as Keith's fingers brushed against the back of his neck, tangling in the hair that curled at the base of his skull.

“Sorry,” Keith whispered, breathy, “It's just... Your hair is getting long.” He considered pulling his hand back, admonishing his body for indulging in the impulse to touch Lance, but he couldn't. Lance's skin was warm and inviting, beckoning him with olive undertones and deep brown skin tone. If he stared long enough -which he had and he did often- he could see the places where his skin tone didn't quite mix completely. Some patches were lighter than others, some darker, but just barely. Keith wondered if it was because he was biracial. He wondered if Lance's children would be born with the same pattern.

Lance exhaled shakily. “Yeah. I keep forgetting to cut it.”

“It looks good,” Keith told him truthfully, and still truthfully, he continued, “But it looks better short. You don't want to end up with a mullet.”

Laughing, Lance reached around, tangling their fingers together. “Yes, well, that's a given. Not many people can pull off a mullet nowadays, Mr. McMullet.”

It was a wonder, the touching. It was a wonder that they went from not touching each other at all to sharing a simple intimate touch without awkwardness. There was lost time to be made up for, and all of the touches they could have been sharing the entire time were spilling forward.

Smiling to himself, Keith hooked his fingers with Lance's for a moment before pulling back. “Do you want creamer? Well, 'do you have creamer' is probably the better question.”

“Please,” Lance said emphatically, “It's in the fridge door. Top shelf.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Te voy a patear el culo! -I'm going to kick your ass!
> 
> -Eran indignos. -They were unworthy.
> 
> -Anarquía! -Anarchy!
> 
> -Mira esos rizos. Bonito. Te mereces a alguien que te da las estrellas, hermanito. -Look at those curls. Beautiful. You deserve someone who gives you the stars, little brother
> 
> -El ya tiene. -He already has.
> 
> -Aquí -here
> 
> -Ven -come
> 
> \- Mijo -son


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spanish translations at the end of the chapter again.
> 
> This whole thing started before either the fourth season came out, and it took me this long to finish it. I haven't even watched the newest season yet, but I hope this was as enjoyable to read as it was to write.

Sitting cross legged on the floor of Red's cockpit, they cradled their mugs and avoided each others eyes. The conversation they needed to start wasn't an easy one to begin or end, and they were wary to start another fight. They were so tired of fighting, fighting the Galra, fighting Lotor, fighting each other. It was good to just be in each others company, whether that was filled with uncomfortable silence or friendly banter. They had ended the war together, but separately at the same time.

“One of us is going to have to say something sooner or later,” Lance finally choked out, fingers tightening around his mug until his fingertips pressed white.

Keith sighed, staring down into the opaque liquid of his own mug. “I know. I just don't know where to start.”

“Somewhere. I just... I can't stand sitting in this silence anymore.”

It's a difficult thing to start a conversation about something that had equally hurt both participants. There's procrastination, taking as long as possible to bring the topic to fruition. There's tight throats and burning eyes. There's the need sitting like a stone in hearts and stomachs, the need to let everything be set on the table and hold it all in to save the other from pain. There's the knowledge that without the hurt of a conversation no one wants to be present for that the relationship will eventually wither and end in a more horrible way than it may have if those words had just been said.

So, with a lump in his throat and butterflies in his stomach, Keith swallowed shallowly. “Okay...” he whispered, his mind rifling through everything that had brought them to this point. He snatched at the safest - _safest?_ \- of topics. “Why didn't you ever act on your feelings for me?”

Running a hand down his face, Lance finally looked up from his cup. “Because... Because we were at war. Neither of us needed distractions, and... and you left. You left! And I didn't know that the feeling in my chest was.” He laughed self-deprecatingly, turning his eyes towards the ceiling. “ _Dios mio_ , I sound like a romance novel, but that's the best way I can put it. I didn't realize that I liked boys the same way I liked girls until we left Earth. I didn't want to jump into something, and then end up hurting you in the end. I just... I didn't understand, and then you left, and we were at war, and it just seemed like the wrong time to be testing a theory.”

Keith's mouth quirked up at the corner. “You're sexuality was a theory that could be tested?”

“Isn't everything?”

“My sexuality never was, but I suppose...” Keith trailed off, dropping his eyes. Being gay had never had a question mark attached to it. He'd always just known. He didn't understand, but maybe he never would.

“Why didn't you?” Lance finally asked after a long stretch of silence, startling Keith out of his own introspection.

Keith jerked his head up. “Why didn't I what?”

A small smile twisted at the corners of Lance's mouth, and he took a moment to repeat his question. “Why didn't you act on your feelings for me?”

Keith shrugged. “I thought you were straight.”

A startled laugh spilled out of Lance. “Seriously? I was that convincing?”

“Seriously,” Keith said, laughing himself, “I didn't think any further than that. I just thought, 'Well, this sucks. Time to get back to work to keep my mind off of this cute, dumb dork.' It didn't work. I couldn't get you off my fucking mind. That's why though.”

Groaning, Lance rubbed a hand across his forehead. “We're definitely a pair, aren't we?”

“We sure are.”

They were silent for the space of a heartbeat before Lance finally found the courage to bring up what had really been sitting in the back of his mind. “Keith.”

Keith glanced up at him, his smile falling away as he found Lance gazing at him, all traces of silliness replaced with seriousness. He looked solemn, and Keith choked on the sudden understanding of what he was going to ask. “Lance, I don't want to talk about that,” he whispered, staring at him almost pleadingly, “Please. I don't- I can't- Not again.”

“We need to, Keith, that's why we came out here. I need to know. I said some... horrible things to you when I found out, and I didn't know the whole story. I still don't know the whole story, and then there was no time for me to apologize, and then we came back to Earth.” Sucking his lips between his teeth, Lance suddenly looked like a child huddled under the blanket he'd dragged from the back of the couch. “I thought you hated me. I thought you were never going to talk to me again. I thought... I thought you weren't going to come because of what I said. I need to know the whole story.” Lance lifted his eyes to stare at him. “Why did you try to kill yourself in that battle?”

Anxiety whirled through Keith at the memory. The desperation welled again, the need to prove that he was useful, that he had contributed to ending the Galran reign, that he wasn't just a throw away. ' _Sacrifice one to save many_.' He heard the words ring through his head again, strangling him. He hadn't realized until later what his action had actually been; a suicide attempt.

He could have ended it all and still made a difference. His life, short and to the point, would have meant something in the end. He would have been needed, if only in that moment. “That... that wasn't what I was thinking at the time,” he whispered, dropping his eyes from Lance's. He couldn't say what he needed to say while looking him in the eye. There would be pity. There would be regret. There had been in Pidge's and Hunk's. Keith needed and wanted neither, especially from Lance. “'Sacrifice one to save many.' That's what the Blade told me. That's what I was thinking of at the time. I'd follow the same path as Ulaz. I'd matter in the end because I didn't at the time.”

Keith could almost feel Lance gearing up for an outburst, and he cut him off before he could get too revved up. “Don't, Lance, don't say anything. I can't hear it. I already heard it from Pidge and Hunk and Shiro. I can't hear it, not from you too. I just... I need you to listen and not say anything in return.”

Dropping his eyes, they sat in silence for a long moment before Lance set his cup aside. He slid forward across the cockpit floor until his knees were on either side of Keith's legs. Reaching forward, he set Keith's cup aside and tangled their fingers together. Glancing back up at him, Lance nodded. "Okay. I'm here. I'm listening."

Biting his bottom lip, it took Keith a long moment before he could continue. His voice trembled as he began again. “I had... Shiro had come back, and Allura had begun piloting Blue, and you had started piloting Red. I didn't have a place on the team anymore. I barely had a place in the Blade. I still hadn't really carved out a spot with them when I came back to Voltron. I've spent a lot of my life in that kind of situation. When I was in the system, at the Garrison, then with Voltron and the Blade where I hoped things would be different.” He swallowed, and his voice broke, and Lance's heart broke a little too. “I wanted to be important, remembered. I wanted to matter in a war that we'd stumbled into. I wanted to pave the way towards victory. I was scared, but I knew that my sacrifice would be needed and important. I just... that's why.”

Pausing, he whispered again, “That's why I did it.”

Remaining silent and keeping his eyes down, Lance rubbing his thumb over Keith's knuckles, fingers tight around his. Lifting his hand, he pressed his lips to the calloused flesh. “You're important to me,” he finally whispered.

“I wasn't then.”

Blinking slowly, Lance lifted his eyes to meet Keith's. “Hon, if you believe that then you're denser than I ever knew.” His voice was soft, gentle, fond. His hand was just as soft, gentle, fond as he cupped Keith's cheek. “You were important to me before I even realized that I wanted to kiss you. You saved me in more ways than one. You're more important to me now than anyone else. Sorry, Hunk and Pidge.”

“No, I didn't,” Keith protested, trying to pull his hands from Lance's, but he was unable to, “I could barely save myself. I **didn't** save myself. Lotor did! I didn't save anyone!”

“You saved the entire universe!” Lance cried, grip tightening on Keith's jaw, “Voltron saved the universe, and you're a vital part of Voltron. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you.”

Keith's lips pressed into a tight line. “You're not making this any better. There were enough people for Voltron. I wasn't ne-”

“Keith, my love, I need you to stop talking like that. It's over now. You may not believe it right now, but you were and are important, and this is where this line of the conversation ends. Do you remember what you told me when I was spouting the same nonsense? _Leave the math to Pidge_.”

Blinking rapidly, Keith opened his mouth. No sound came out as he gathered his thoughts to him again. “What?”

“I said-”

“No, what did you call me?” he asked, dislodging Lance's hand as he leaned closer to his face. There was pink beginning to color Lance's cheeks, and he smirked.

“I-I don't remember.”

The smirk fell into a frown. Keith sighed. “And here's the second part of this conversation.”

“What part? There's no second part! We're done! Totally! We figured everything out!” Lance shouted a little hysterically. He reeled away from Keith, rocketing to his feet. Pacing back and forth in front of him, he scooped up his mug, took a shaky sip, and ran a trembling hand back through his hair.

Pulling his legs in, Keith gripped his crossed ankles. “There is a second part, and we need to talk about it. Okay?”

“I don't want to talk about it,” Lance whispered, echoing Keith's words.

Keith handed Lance's own words back to him. “We have to, Lance.” There was a moment where Lance's footsteps were the only sound between them. “You acted as if I meant nothing to you, Lance, not even as a teammate, not even after that stupid hallucinogenic planet. Right before the final battle too! Do you know how that affected me? How used I felt?”

“No,” Lance said, voice hollow and eyes down, “No, but I can guess. I don't want to think about it.”

“But you're going to because it hurt me, and you could see that, and you still didn't apologize!” Heat was flushing Keith's body, his temper and voice rising, but not yet to a shout.

Lance looked miserable as he turned and turned and turned. “I know. _Dios, lo se! Lo se,_ ” he whispered, voice breaking as he rubbed at his eyes. Tears dripped down his cheek, a sob making his shoulders tremble. “God, I know, and I regret it every day. I was scared, Keith. There was a very real chance that one of us wasn't going to come back, and I was terrified to think of that. I've **never** had someone mean so much to me, and I thought that maybe if I made myself believe that I didn't care about you, I would survive it if you didn't come back. I didn't know how to deal with my feelings for you. I know that's not an excuse. Nothing can excuse how cruel I was, but I was trying to survive. I was so scared that if I was worrying myself sick over whether the person I love was going to come home with us, I was going to be useless to the team. I was going to make a mistake that would mean **someone** wasn't coming back. And I couldn't so that! I couldn't! If I'd made it home, but someone else hadn't and it was my fault, I wouldn't have been able to live with myself.”

He stopped mid stride, folding his arms over his head and bowing his head. “I thought it was better to be focused and hated than to be distracted and have something happen. Instead, we were both miserable because no matter what I do, I can never get you off my mind. And I hurt you to the point that I thought you weren't going to come back.” The tears were still on his cheeks, but there was a trembling smile on his lips. “But that was the point, wasn't it?”

Without saying anything, Keith stood and pulled Lance in close. He hooked his chin over his shoulder, holding him tighter when Lance began to shudder. “You know, you're going to be apologizing to me for decades if I have anything to say about it.” He wouldn't make him do that, but Lance laughed against him and that was all he'd been looking to do.

“ _Lo se. Lo siento. Te amo mucho. No quiero perderte._ ” Pulling back, Lance peppered Keith's face with feather light kisses, punctuating each with a quiet, “ _Lo siento. Te amo._ ”

At some point, they found their way back to the floor, curling around each other on the blanket. Keith brought their faces close, his voice just a whisper. “I like you a lot, did you know? Maybe even love,” he asked against Lance's ear. He laughed softly when Lance shook his head. “Nothing that happened before and nothing that happens after this will change that. We have to take care of each other from now on instead of fighting against each other, though.”

Ducking his head against Keith's chest, Lance sheepishly asked, “Just a little fighting though, right? We can't let it get too boring.” He was grinning when he glanced up at Keith.

Keith snorted, pulling Lance back into him.

…..

Lance woke some hours later with Keith's arms still around him and his sleeping mumbles in his ear. They were laid out across Red's cockpit, the blanket thrown haphazardly over them and pulled close against Keith's chest between their bodies. The cockpit was bathed in red light like those of emergency lights without the panic.

Sitting up slowly, Lance groaned and scrubbed at his eyes. They were swollen and a little itchy, and he **knew** he'd look like hell whenever they finally joined the others. Dropping his hands, he watched Keith, still mumbling and peaceful. He couldn't remember a time when Keith had ever looked that at ease, whether in sleep or awake. Whether at the Garrison or in space.

He wanted to be the reason behind the calm. He wanted to be the reason Keith smiled, the reason he laughed, the reason he sighed. He wanted to stay in this moment until he stopped breathing.

Every moment has its end though, and this one found its end as Keith inhaled and blinked open bloodshot eyes. That didn't mean the feeling of the moment had to end, and Lance understood that as he leaned over Keith to press a kiss to his eyelids.

Keith asked, “What time is it?” as he rubbed at hie eyes and squinted around the cockpit.

“I don't know. I just woke up.” Lying back on the floor, he stretched his arms and legs as far as they could go. He sighed as his joints popped, satisfied. “Mm, I'm kind of hungry.”

“You sound like Hunk,” Keith grumbled, but there was a soft edge to the accusation that spoke of fondness. Turning over, he propped his chin on Lance's chest. He could feel the steady beat of his heart.

Lance blinked lazily down at him. “Aren't you?”

Smiling, he said, “Yeah.”

With a laugh, Lance sat up and tugged Keith into a gentle kiss. When they parted, they pressed their foreheads together, simply taking each other in.

After a moment, Lance asked, “Are we... are we good?”

“We were always good, Lance,” Keith whispered truthfully, eyes closed, “Better now. I think there are still things we're eventually going to have to talk about, but we're good.” He kissed Lance again before standing, holding out a hand. “Let's go see what the others are up to.”

…..

All conversation quieted as the pair pushed into the kitchen through the back door, blanket wrapped around their shoulders against the morning chill as they stumbled and laughed. They watched silently as Keith and Lance collapsed face first into the couch only to surface with a kiss.

Pidge's fake gagging was getting more elaborate with each rendition, and the sound she made sent the pair into a spiral of laughter. “You two are disgustingly cute. I may actually vomit.”

“Life goal achieved,” Lance sighed without looking towards her, still tangled with Keith. He couldn't remember the last time he was so stupidly happy aside from the last few months. Nuzzling at Keith's nose, he laughed when Pidge gagged louder and Keith's nose scrunched up.

He could almost hear her roll her eyes as she scoffed, “Why am I not surprised that that would be one of your life goals?”

Untangling themselves, Keith and Lance joined the rest of the team at the table, taking seats across from each other. “So, what are we talking about this fine morning?” Lance asked, crossing his arms on the table and pillowing his chin on them. Reaching under the table, he hooked his foot around Keith's ankle.

“What we're going to do now that, you know, everything is done and Voltron isn't needed anymore,” Hunk supplied passed a bite of omelet, “We already figured out what you're going to do though, with your family here and everything. Oh, and baby Sophie!”

Tilting his head, Lance kept his eyes squarely on Hunk. “Oh? What am I planning on doing?”

“Staying here, of course!” Allura chirped, smiling widely, “Your family is here, and I can see how happy they all make you.” Her eyes were brighter than usual against how dark her skin had gotten with the kiss of the sun.

Her words felt like a lie, and in that moment, he discovered a hole in his heart he hadn't realized was there before. It wasn't comfortable finding another hole in his heart that wasn't in the same place Keith had taken up. He was such a broken needy thing, always wanting. Something was always wrong, or going wrong, and a lot of the time, he would allow himself to fester in that place.

Coran's eyes were far off as he said, “That's right. You should cherish every moment with them.”

“Sometimes distance makes the heart grow fonder,” Lance muttered under his breath, but only Keith seemed to hear him, nudging at his foot. Clearing his throat, he said loudly, “What about everyone else?”

“Hunk and I are going back to the Garrison. We're either going to snap necks or slap some sense into their heads,” Pidge said matter-of-factly, licking strawberry and chocolate jam from her fingers. “Someone's got to go get those shitwits in line.”

Keith stifled a laugh. “Maybe save snapping necks for a last resort? I mean, either way, you're the perfect candidate for the job.”

“Or I could just use it as a first resort. Get the competition out of the way.”

Snorting, Keith dissolved into a puddle of laughter as she grinned in triumph.

“Look what you did! You've killed my boyfriend!” Lance shouted, working double time to shore up the gaping hole in his heart with a brighter smile, a louder laugh, but it did nothing for him. “What are you and Coran going to do, Allura?”

“Travel the universe!” Coran exclaimed, grandly throwing out his arms.

The skin around Allura's eyes tightened, the smile falling from her eyes, but never from her lips. “We're most likely going to be dealing with politics for awhile as things settle down. There will probably be rival factions of Galra still left to take care of as well. Political issues as the new Coalition is assembled. Things of that sort.”

Lance knew that look, the look of disappointment and hurt, but not wanting to show it. “What do you really want to do?”

Allura startled. The others glanced between the pair with furrowed brows. Lance's eyes never left hers.

Cheeks darkening with color, she answered with a voice that was small and uncertain. “Well, I'd like to stay on Earth with Takashi and Matt for a bit longer. I like it here. It reminds me of Altea in some ways. I'd like to explore this planet before returning to space.”

Hunk asked the question they were all thinking, but no one was brave enough to voice. “Who's going to be the new diplomat for the Coalition then?”

She stayed silent, shame wafting off of her in waves.

Lance understood that too, wanting something for himself, but feeling as if he needed to prioritize everything else over it.

“I can do it.”

The table went silent and all heads turned to meet Keith's steady and resolute eyes.

“W-what? Keith, you don't have to do- I can-” Allura stammered, losing her composure for the first time in a long time.

Keith's voice was firm, allowing no room for negotiations as he said, “I can do it.”

Lance's heart jerked in his chest. He placed a hand over his heart, brow furrowing. That was new type of movement. Not heartbreak, but not a sensation he was used to.

“I'll travel with Red. We can keep comms if I have any questions. Coran can instruct me if he doesn't decide to stay.” He paused and only continued when Coran had shook his head. “I can act as a liaison.” Keith swallowed, showing the first sign of doubt as his eyes jumped between the members of the team. “Listen, I don't have anything here on Earth. My mother is running with the Blade. I refuse to go back to the Garrison. They can't teach me anything else.” His eyes snapped to a stop on Lance, and regret immediately twisted his face.

“W-what about...” Hunk trailed off, looking towards Lance.

In that moment, Lance made a decision. For better or for worse, he felt as if the decision had been made the entire time, from the moment he'd returned home. “I'm going.”

Keith startled, legs jerking against his foot.

“What?” the others shouted, their shock washing over him and rolling away from him.

“I'm going with Keith. I love being home, but I loved being in space too. I can't just give that up, not after seeing everything I've seen. On top of that, there's nothing else I want to learn at the Garrison. I've already rubber Iverson's nose in the dirt just by being part of Voltron. And... And I want to be with Keith. We make a good team.” A smile spread across his face as he watched Keith surreptitiously scrub at his eyes.

“This is the moment when everything starts again, isn't it?” Pidge asked quietly, her smile spreading with each passing second.

Shiro nodded. “It is. You and Hunk are going to do great at the Garrison, get everyone on the right path. Keith, Lance, you two are going to find your calling with the Coalition, I can tell.”

“And you three are going to help orphanages of children or something,” Keith said flippantly, grinning.

Smiling back, Shiro shrugged. “We'll see.”

…..

“You're leaving.” It wasn't a question, just a statement from his doorway. His brother, arms crossed over his chest and eyes downcast, leaned against his doorjamb. “Were you going to tell us?” There was more disappointment in his voice than anger.

Lance paused, hands dropping back to his bed where he had a pile of folded clothing growing. “I don't think I was ever going to stay forever,” he told him, staring down at the shirt in his hands. His hands looked different than when he had left the Garrison, calloused and roughened, and speaking to how much he had grown. “I don't think I knew I was going to leave again until today though.” Turning, he stared up at his brother. “I'm sorry, David. I can't stay.”

“I just... I wish you could be here to watch your nieces and nephews grow up. You've already missed almost two years of their lives between the Garrison and now... this. Voltron or whatever.”

“I won't be gone forever. Just think of it as if I'm living in a different state. Like how none of us live here at home anymore. I'll still come back to visit. This isn't a 'forever' goodbye, just a 'for now' goodbye. And this time, I'm actually getting to say goodbye.”

Behind David appeared Veronica and Rachel, even Luis and Marco, all of his siblings and sibling-in-laws gathered together. For once, none of them were fighting. They were simply staring at him solemnly. “It feels like a 'forever' goodbye though,” Rachel whispered, lips trembling.

Lance's bottom lip followed quit. “I know, but it's not,” he stammered, eyes burning and throat growing tight, “I don't know what else to say. I can't stay. I love everyone, and I want to see you guys all the time, but I can't stay. It's nothing wrong with you. I'm the broken one. There's a hole in my heart that I don't know how to fix. Keith helps, and I think going back to space will too.” Tears slipped passed the safety of his eyelashes. He had been crying so much lately. “There's nothing wrong with him. There's just something wrong with me.”

Rachel shook her head. “There's nothing wrong with you, _hermanito,_ but we thought you were dead for a year. We thought we were going to get more time with you than a few months.” Stepping into the room passed the invisible barrier they had all created, she pulled him into her side. “We missed you, and we love you, and we're going to continue missing you when you leave. Just don't forget about us when you become a big bad diplomat of the universe. Remember where you came from.”

He wrapped his arms around her in return. There was a time when he had been shorter than her, but not anymore. He dropped his chin on the top of her head. “I could never forget about you guys. I always thought about you when I was away. Please, don't hate me.”

The others crowded in around them, creating a cocoon of warmth and McClain family love.

Someone snorted close to his ear. “We don't hate you, _hermanito._ We want you to be happy, and if going back to space with your boyfriend is going to make you happy, then we're happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Lance sniffed.

“ _Idiota,_ ” another voice muttered, and they dissolved into helpless laughter.

…..

Lance's father dropped into the wooden beach chair that Lance had been starting to sit in, sighing as loudly as the seat groaned. He was large and muscled and overbearing. Everything Lance couldn't get his body to do. “ _Hijo, hablemos._ ”

Rolling his eyes, Lance turned and dropped into the seat beside his father. Flicking his father on the arm, he closed his phone screen on a picture of Pidge tinkering with Rover. He had tons of pictures from their time as Voltron. They made him nostalgic, but only for their camaraderie. “I feel like you're the only one I haven't gotten a lecture from. Keith too. He's gotten one from literally everyone else, but he refuses to tell me what Rachel, Marco and Luis did...”

“Ah, that boy's been terrified enough. He'll do fine.”

“I feel like that's not something a dad should be saying. Don't you want him more terrified.”

Lance's dad laughed, a deep rumbling sound, and scrubbed at the stubble on his face. “I'm not trying to scare him off. The family took care of everything that needed to be said already.”

“You might be right.” Lance fell quiet, twisting his phone between his hands. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

The older man huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. “You're leaving.”

Lance ducked his head. “Yeah...”

“You're mother's pretty upset,” his father told him gruffly, and guilt slipped into Lance's blood stream, “So am I. We only just got you back, and now you're leaving again, but... but we get it, son.”

Lance lifted his head just the barest amount as his father placed a large hand on his shoulder.

“We're not mad at you for wanting to leave again. We know that you still have great things to do out there, so we just want you to be safe, alright. Don't do anything too crazy.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “And keep that boyfriend of yours out of trouble. He seems like he could find it in his sleep. Put a ring on his finger soon, but don't get married without your mother there. She'd wring your neck.”

Sitting up, Lance stared back at him with wide eyes. “So... so you guys are really okay with me going back to space even with everything that happened.”

“Of course, Lance. If that's what you want to do, we'll support you.”

Heat pressed in at the back of Lance's eyes, and he grinned. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Of course, son.” Silence fell between them, and they stared out at the stars. After a moment, his father said, “So, are there any stories from your travels that you couldn't tell in your mother's company?”

…..

It was nearly two more weeks before they all began to split off towards their desired destinations.

Hunk squeezed Lance close as he blubbered. “You guys be safe in space. Don't get married without telling us. We're all going to be there, okay? That's not a negotiation!”

“Marriage is a long way off, buddy, but we will,” Lance gasped, patting him on the back. “You keep doing what you're doing, and I know I said I didn't need to rub Iverson's nose in the dust, but... Just a little wouldn't hurt. Give him a piece of my mind. We'll come by and visit some time. You guys will have your lions, so it's not like you won't be able to come visit us too.”

Hunk nodded, mopping at his eyes. He immediately burst back into loud sobs as he neared Keith and Shiro, engulfing them in his overzealous mass.

Pidge was next, her eyes red and her nose running as she pressed her face into his stomach. She looked older, even more mature than when she'd first come to Lance's home, as if she'd continued to grow in the time they'd been there. She had. They could all see it. Physically, she had grown taller. Her hair was an inch or two longer. Her face and body had adopted the structure of a young woman instead of a child. Mentally, well, that was harder to put into words.

He didn't think any of them were mentally children anymore.

Lance hugged her back tightly. “You are so beautiful, you know that? God, I'm so proud of you.”

“You're not my brother or my father, Lance, you're my best friend,” she grumbled, but he could hear how pleased she was.

Lance squeezed her closer, and she giggled. “That just means there's no obligation to shower you with praise.” He pressed his cheek to the top of her head. “I love you, Pidge. I might not have at the beginning of all of this, but I definitely do now. Get out there and do the great things I know you're going to do.”

Pulling away, smiling, she said, “You're going to do great things too. Don't forget about us here.”

Once all goodbyes had been completed to the team and Lance's family, the team pressed together in a crushing and all encompassing hug. There were tears on every face, and they remained until the green and yellow lions disappeared onto the horizon.

…..

Allura, Matt and Shiro left the next day, their goodbyes far more restrained and gentle than those of Hunk and Pidge.

Allura held Coran close as Shiro pulled Keith to the side, leaving Matt and Lance watching the pairs.

“They're really something else,” Matt said, leaning back against the porch steps, “I'm kind of jealous that you got so much time with them. Mostly that you got to see Katie grow up so much.” His voice trembled over the tail end of his statement.

“She wouldn't have grown up so well if you had been there.” Lance folded his hands together between his knees. “I didn't know that was true until I was away from my family. You don't realize it, but older siblings shelter you almost as much as parents just in a different way. Good siblings, I should say. They're always there to protect you, to help you with your mistakes. It's never until you're away from them that you learn to do that all on your own.”

Matt was looking at Lance, mouth twisted in thought. “I didn't realize you knew people so well. I thought you were just a joker.”

Lance shrugged. “Really, I only know the people who are important to me.” He sighed, propping his chin in his hand. “They've been through a lot, Matt. They're strong, but everyone has a breaking point. Just make sure you're there for them then they're ready to talk.”

“I will. I promise.”

“Okay.” Lance nodded and stood. “Keith, you've had Shiro long enough! My turn!”

The goodbyes continued until Blue and Red were the only ones left in the water.

Mrs. McClain pulled a teary eyed Coran away, patting him gently on the back. Keith and Lance stayed in the sun, staring up at the cloud studded sky.

“It's kind of bittersweet,” Lance whispered, imagining he could still see them rocketing across the sky towards Matt's parents' place, “watching them go again after everything we've all been through.”

“Yeah.” Keith tentatively stepped into Lance's side, wrapping an arm around his waist and dropping his head on his shoulder. “But also satisfying knowing that they can.”

Lance nodded, and they settled into each other.

…..

Lance and Keith only stayed there one more day. They had decided that it was time they started being the diplomats they had promised Allura they could be. Four months of no sightings of the Altean princess or Voltron was bound to have caused some tension.

Their goodbyes were an all day affair with no more tears. There was dancing and all of Lance's favorite foods. There were hugs and promises to return as often as possible, and to bring Keith with him. Lance's family assured them that the others were always welcome, but Keith was ingrained family now, with or without the ring. He needed to learn to cope with them, and if a ring ever did fall into the mix, he need to know how to survive the McClain family lifestyle.

“Don't be strangers,” Lance's mother said to each of them in turn as she pulled them into tight hugs.

“We won't,” they promised.

They bypassed the Castle of Lions, only stopping briefly to drop Coran off and ensure he had transport to and from Earth. After comms with the team were established, they left.

Staring out over the expanse of the universe, Lance felt as if he were whole for the first time in his life. He had his family, his friends, his planet, and the universe. Most of all, he had his home, he had Keith.

Keith's voice crackled to life. “Are you scared? Or sad? To be leaving it all behind again.”

Lance smiled, glancing at the screen to his right. “I don't need to be scared or sad. As long as I'm with you, I'll always be home.”

“You are such a romance novel,” Keith groaned, but his mouth was twisted to hide a pleased smile. “Let's check in on the Alkari first.” His smile broke forward full force when Lance nodded. “Take us away, Coran.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Dios mio -my god
> 
> -Lo se -I know
> 
> -Lo siento -I'm sorry
> 
> -Te amo -I love you
> 
> -Te amo mucho -I love you so much
> 
> -No quiero perderte -I don't want to lose you
> 
> -Hijo, hablemos -Son, let's talk
> 
> -Hermanito -Little brother

**Author's Note:**

> Spanish-English translation: (I am so sorry if these are horrible far off. Also, that there is so much of it that has to be badly translated.)
> 
> -Mi hijo, por que estas triste? - My son, why are you sad?
> 
> -Habla conmigo, Lance. -Talk to me, Lance.
> 
> -Solitario? -Lonely?
> 
> -Ellos son tu familia tambien. Tienes dos familias ahora, hijo. Esta bien. Sucede. -They are your family too. You have two families now, son. It's okay. It happens.
> 
> -Tu hermoso, Lance. Te amo. -You're beautiful, Lance. I love you.
> 
> -Yo soy tu madre. Es lo que hago. -I'm your mother. That's what I do.
> 
> -Ahora ven. Tenemos que limpiar. -Now come. We have to clean.
> 
> -Muy bonita. -Very pretty.
> 
> -Cabrón! Estaba preocupado por ti! Gilipollas! Estaba preocupado! -Bastard! I was worried about you! Asshole! I was worried!
> 
> -Estaba muy preocupado. Pensé que algo te había sucedido. -I was really worried. I thought something had happened to you.'
> 
> -Te odio, cabrón. -I hate you, you bastard.
> 
> -No estoy llorando! Estás llorando! -I'm not crying! You're crying!
> 
> -Te extrañé, gilipollas. Te extrañé mucho. -I missed you, asshole. I missed you a lot.
> 
> -Coño, Keith. Tan a menudo. Mucho mejor de lo que imaginaba. Por favor. Por favor. Dios, por favor no dejes que esto sea un sueño. -Shit, Keith. So often. Much better than I imagined. Please. Please. God, please don't let this be a dream.
> 
> -Aye, dios. Keith. Keith. Keith. Lo he querido por tanto tiempo. Por tanto tiempo. Solo tócame, por favor. Por favor! Besame! -Oh, god. Keith. Keith. Keith. I've wanted this for so long. Just touch me, please. Please! Kiss me!


End file.
